Renato's Emmarentia - Where the Real Folks Eat

Forget the Spur, Mugg & Bean, and all the other soulless franchises that pepper our city like neon zits, Renato's in Emmarentia, owned by the charming Walter Tirinanzi, has been chugging along since 1987.  Their prices seem stuck in that era too. The most expensive main course costs R65, and the rest of the dishes average from about R40-R50.
The ambience is cheap and cheerful. The cracked  linoleum floor offsets the rickety stained wood chairs and cheesy plaid red table cloths. Retired couples sit next to varsity students, while retired army colonels quietly sip their sherry and eat panzerotti. The placed is packed every night, with people who know they're onto a good thing.
They serve a cheap sangria that could peel paint- but get this: CORKAGE IS FREE! So you can bring whatever you'd like to drink, and enjoy simple Italian food for the price of 2 Mugg & Bean cappuccinos. Go there, but go early. The place is packed by 8 o' clock, every night, year in, year out.

Renato's Trattoria and Pizzeria
Tel: 011 646 9203
39. Greenhill Road
Emmarentia

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What Others Said

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Catherine said
on 16 March 2010

I waitressed here for a few years while I was a student. Great food, great people! Not the best photos here to show off the food...thats the calamari livornese...looks a bit scary, but its really yum! You should rather put a pic of the divine pizzas!!! Best value for money in Jozi!

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JOMO said
on 22 January 2010

the baby sole of kingklip are noth over R65,I can see it in the photograph.but looks kinda cute and "rustic" so may still give the corkage a try.thanks

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JD said
on 16 November 2009

cheap and nasty more like. the food looks really gross, and in the absence of any commentary on that im forced to conclude that at those prices it probably is. also it looks like theyve crammed an awful lot of tables in there.

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fush&chips said
on 16 November 2009

Illy minilly,
Thanks for the input.

Have a really really really great week

Claire,
?

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Illy minilly said
on 13 November 2009

Your reviews are very poor.

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Claire said
on 11 November 2009

FYI